Burn With You
by ariabellewrites
Summary: All Oliver knew was that he had to save his city at the same time as single-handedly raising his daughter who had never known a life outside the island, so Felicity was most definitely not in his plans.
1. Chapter 1

"Stay here."

After that brief order, Oliver was running, his feet pounding against the familiar surface of the island, his arms reaching for the familiar branches of the trees, he was moving fast, possibly faster than he ever had before, he had one shot at this, this was the first ship he had seen in an incredibly long time, he had to make this count.

And he had barely comprehended that he had, he had made his one shot count, when he was sitting on the fisherman's boat, the little girl bundled up into his side, her eyes wide staring at anything and everything. It all must have been so familiar yet so different to her.

He placed a hand on her little head, and he could immediately feel her body relax the slightest bit against his touch.

"Everything is going to be alright little one," He promised looking down at her as she stared up at him with blinking eyes.

She nodded once before burying her head into his side as well.

Oliver sighed and wrapped the blanket around them just a little tighter, and pulling her even closer to him. Everything was about to change, they were going to change, and he wasn't sure if it what happened next was going to be good or bad.

Lian Yu was hell, this island was hell, but it was also all she knew, it was her home, and now she was going to be thrown into the real world.

They would be fine, he decided, they always were, they would do the best they could with what they had. Just like they always had.

He wouldn't let the doctors take her. He had rarely spent a moment without her for the past few four years, and he definitely wasn't going to leave her alone with people he knew nothing about, in a world she knew nothing about.

Because that's what this was, this was a completely different world for her. And he wouldn't admit it, but it felt like a different world to him as well.

He ignored the uncertain looks on the doctors and nurses faces. He knew what they were thinking, what would they be thinking besides, 'even stranded on an island for five years after being shipwrecked Oliver Queen still manages to return with a little girl.'

They still thought he was fuck-up.

And maybe he was, all he knew was that he wasn't one with her, and no one was going to go near her without his supervision.

So there they both were in the hospital room. After staring at the bed with uncertainty for about half an hour, poking it like it was going to bite her, Oliver had finally convinced her to get into it, and go to sleep.

As for him, he was staring out the window at the city. It was weird how nothing had changed, he had been gone, but life had went on, cars were still driving, lights were still shining, buildings were still being built, and people were still living.

He heard the door open, but he paid no mind to it. It was most likely a doctor or a nurse coming to check on them. She was asleep, and he had taken to simply ignoring them, they could in and do whatever it was they were there for, and he would mind his own business.

"Oliver."

He hesitated only for a moment before turning around, he knew that voice, it sounded like a memory, a voice he had forgotten, but would always know.

"Mom," He said quietly with a sad smile.

She offered him a sad smile back and then they were moving towards each other, both hesitant in their moments, as if not to startle the other, but still unable to stand the distance any longer.

"Oh my beautiful boy."

He hugged her gently, allowing her to kiss his neck, and hold him. He closed his eyes just holding onto her own, remembering the woman that had raised him, allowing the part of him that had missed her to heal at her touch, at her presence.

He wasn't sure how long they stood like that till they finally pulled away, his mother sniffing to control her tears as she drank in the sight of his face, he was sure he was doing the same.

"They said," His mom was hesitant and he was almost positive he knew where she was going with this, "They said there was a little girl with you?"

He turned his head towards the bed where the little girl was sleeping soundly, the covers bunched up in her tiny fists, her nose crinkling in that adorable way it always did when she was angry or confused, usually the latter.

"Mom, that's Lily," Oliver said quietly allowing her to process, "That's my daughter."

Oliver placed a hand on Lily's back as she clambered onto his lap, holding onto his fingers, she stood herself up on his thighs, and after letting go of his hands, placed her own against the window as she stared at the sight of the Queen mansion.

Since they had been rescued, she had spent most of her time wide-eyed. Lily had been born in Lian Yu, she had never known anything different, and now seeing all this, after living like they had, it was like everything fascinated her.

The car stopped as Oliver gently picked her up from her underarms, and held her up as he exited the car. He placed her on his hip as he moved to the trunk stopping the driver from taking out his green trunk and doing it himself.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting when his mom pushed open the double doors to the mansion with her usual flair, but he wasn't all too surprised at how little the house had changed in five years. He looked around more out of nostalgia then out of surprise.

"Your room is exactly how you left it." His mom said, "I didn't have the heart to change it. We'll have a room ready for Lily in a few days."

He was just about to tell his mother there was no need for that, Lily was staying with him, his room was their room. He wasn't sure when he was going to be able to let her out of his sight, but he knew it wasn't going to be anytime soon. No, there was no need for having a room done for Lily, not yet anyway.

But before he could tell his mother this, a British accent rang through the air, and a barely familiar black man walked forward.

"Oliver, it's damn good to see you."

He held Lily just a little tighter to him, as she buried her head into his neck. He had quickly realized she had a fear of strangers, she didn't like them, and she didn't want to be near them. He wasn't all too surprised, she had only seen the same few faces her whole life, and suddenly she was being attacked by the presence person after person.

"Walter," The man raised his eyebrows like he had expected Oliver to know who he was, "Walter Steele."

"You remember Walter," His mother said as he shook the man's hand, "Your father's friend from the company."

He may have said something to excuse his lack of knowledge, but he caught sight of someone he actually wanted to see, and immediately made his way over to her.

"It' good to see you Raisa," He smiled grabbing her hand with his free one.

"Welcome home Mr. Oliver," She laughed and smiled at the same time, "Mr. Merlyn called, he wants to join you for dinner."

"Wonderful," His mother said as Lily moved her to glance at Raisa for a second before quickly burying it back into Oliver's neck causing the woman to smile gently.

"Oliver did you hear that?"

He ignored his mother, he was more concerned about the sound of a door closing upstairs. He hoped that was who he thought it was, because he wasn't sure he had missed anyone more than he had missed her.

She was a kid anymore, he was expecting that, but at the same time he wasn't. Thea had grown up into someone beautiful that he barely recognized, yet felt like he knew everything about at the same time. She looked like home, she looked like everything he had been missing for five years.

"Hey sis," He smiled as she rounded the stairs staring at him, he was staring to, it didn't matter.

"I knew it." She said her voice breathy from trying to hold back tears as she quickly made her way down the stairs, "I knew you were alive."

He barely had a second to put Lily on the ground before Thea was throwing her arms around his neck, and his own were wrapping around her waist.

"I missed you so much."

"You were with me the whole time," He replied honestly.

"And you brought back a stray," Thea raised her eyebrows pulling away.

"Thea, this is Lily," Oliver said picking his daughter – who was making an attempt to glare at him, though it wasn't really working – and placing her back on his hip, "Lily, this is Aunt Thea."

"Only you would get shipwrecked and come back with a child," Thea said but her words had no effect, the way she was staring at Lily, Oliver already knew, she had Thea wrapped around her finger without so much as looking at her.

"We're working on her social skills," Oliver said as Lily once again hid her face in his neck, he was going to have a Lily sized space there permanently if she kept this up.

"I have a feeling she's going to be just fine," Thea muttered without taking her eyes off of the back of Lily's head.

"Okay what else did you miss," Tommy said informatively, "Superbowl winners: Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. Oh, black president, that's new, oh and Lost? They were all dead, I think."

Oliver laughed to himself as he watched his mother and Walter's exchange, Tommy never failed to amuse him.

"What was it like there?" Thea asked breaking the forced easiness of the atmosphere.

He was silent for a moment as everyone stared at him before answering with a single word and then pushing on, "Cold. Lily, three more bites."

His daughter looked up at him with wide eyes, she was holding her fork awkwardly, considering she had never used one in her life before, he was sure she didn't know what any of this food was, or had seen this much food, ever.

He hadn't seen this much food in a long time.

Carefully, ignoring the stares, he took the fork out of Lily's hand, and stabbed it into her food, before carefully guiding it into her mouth.

"Tomorrow," Tommy said thankfully breaking the unsure moment, "You and me, we're doing the city, you've got a lot to catch up on."

"That sounds like a great idea," His mother leaned forward.

"Good," Oliver said not bothering to point out that he had a child with him, and had no interest in go anywhere he couldn't take her with him, "Then I was hoping to swing by the office."

Lily poked his leg, and then hesitantly pointed at the water cup across from her. She had taken to going to silent in front of anyone besides Oliver, she had always been on the quieter side, but she was always full of life, she still was when it was just the two of them, but all bets were off when anyone else was present.

He placed one hand under her chin, and held the cup up carefully as she drank slowly.

"Well there's plenty of time for all that," Walter said putting his wine glass down at the same time Oliver put Lily's cup back down on the table, "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."

Oliver nodded a slight smirk on his face, he might have said something that he may have regretted when Raisa tripped causing Oliver to catch onto her body before she fell, though her hand accidentally slammed onto Lily's head.

"I am so sorry Mr. Oliver," She said as she looked down at Lily with wide eyes who was staring back up at her with a quivering lip.

He quickly reassured Raisa that everything was fine in Russian, before placing a finger under Lily's chin and gently forcing her to look at him.

Oliver offered a smile and shook his head, and she crinkled her nose at him, but slowly tucked her lip into her mouth, and blinked away her tears. It wasn't that Oliver had a problem with her crying, but she had no reason to cry, and she usually wasn't that hard to console, something as simple as smile was more often than not was enough for her.

"Dude you speak Russian," Tommy half scoffed, half laughed.

"I didn't realize you took Russian in college Oliver," Walter said.

He didn't feel the need to go into details of how he hadn't taken Russian in college, he didn't want to go into detail of how he had learned Russian on the island, so instead he replied with something else he had been thinking all night.

"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter."

It was quiet for a moment before his mother glanced at Thea almost accusingly.

She was quick to shake her head and defend herself, "I didn't say anything."

"She didn't have to," Oliver said in that same light tone he had been using all through dinner.

"Oliver," Her mother said as if he was a child again, grabbing Walter's hand, "Walter and I are married, and I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."

"We both believed that Robert, like you, was, uh, well, gone.

"It's fine," Oliver said not interested in listening to the man talk anymore, "May I be excused?"

He stood, and barely registered his mother's nod, before picking up a pear, and Lily.

"Hey don't forget about tomorrow, buddy."

He placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder in reply, and winked at Thea before exiting the room.

"Alright pretty girl, we're going to go hang out with Uncle Tommy. Sound good?"

Lily looked at him as he tied her black sneakers despite her fidgety feet.

"I don't like them, Daddy."

"I know, but you'll get used to them soon, okay?" Oliver said running a hand through her hair as she looked at her shoes with distaste.

She had never worn shoes up till that point, no shoes in Lian Yu, they had managed to make her clothes out of old things, and odds and ends, but shoes weren't an option. She was used to being barefoot, being able to run around as she pleased, and the shoes seemed like they were restricting her.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"When are we going home?"

Oliver sighed as he picked up Lily and placed her on his lap as he sat down on the edge of his bed, "We are home, sweetheart."

"Nuh-uh," She shook her head, wrinkling her nose at him.

"Yes we are," Oliver said carefully trying to make her understand, "I know this is confusing, but I promise one day you're going to understand."

Lily looked at him before sighing in defeat and putting her little head on his chest. He dropped his chin on the top of her head, sitting there for a brief moment.

"Well this is sweet, but the city awaits."

Oliver laughed quietly into Lily's hair before standing up and placing her gently on her feet, "Let's go."

He moved forward but then stopped when he realized almost immediately that Lily wasn't following him.

She was standing there with her pouty face her hands held in front of her, she wanted to be carried.

Oliver raised his eyebrows at her and held out his hand.

Lily made one of her terrible attempts to glare at his hand. She couldn't glare or look at anything angrily, she was too adorable, too sweet.

"I'm not picking you up, Lil," Oliver shook his head and kept his hand out while she kept hers up, "You know how to walk."

It wasn't that Oliver wouldn't carry her, hell he probably wanted to carry her more than she wanted to be carried, it was simply that she couldn't live her life hiding her face into the crook of his neck, she needed to start getting comfortable around other people, and who better than Tommy?

Her bottom lip trembled slightly as silent tears filled her eyes.

If anything, her tears made him more determined not to pick her up, she couldn't cry every time there was someone else around. There was no gentle way to teach her this, he just had to do the best he could.

"Oliver, just pick her up," Tommy said glancing at Lily nervously.

"She needs to learn," He said quietly.

"Learn what?"

"That she can't hide whenever we aren't alone."

Tommy nodded in understanding, he was okay now that he realized he wasn't simply just refusing to carry his daughter, he had a reason behind it, a reason that benefitted her.

Lily took a tentative step forward as she eyed Tommy cautiously, before taking another, and soon enough her hands were clamping onto his outstretched one.

"Good girl," Oliver praised as they slowly left the room Tommy and Oliver keep pace with Lily as she alternated between staring at her feet and staring at Tommy to his amusement.

"I can't believe she's your kid," Tommy said as he opened the back door of his car, "Didn't know someone so ugly could make someone so beautiful."

Oliver shot him an appreciative smile at the booster seat sitting in the back, Tommy had known Lily would come along, he hadn't even bothered thinking she wouldn't, and he had gone so far as to making sure she was safe when she did.

He didn't comment on it, that wasn't his and Tommy's thing, but he appreciated it.

"It's all her mom," Oliver said without thinking as they got into the car and Tommy started driving.

"She looks like you though," Tommy said obviously sensing that wasn't going to elaborate that statement.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a little while before Tommy broke it.

"Your funeral blew."

"You get lucky?"

"Like fish in a barrel. They were so sad and huggy, and I'm counting on another target rich environment for your welcome home bash."

Oliver laughed, at least something good had come out of his funeral, someone should have gotten laid, it was what old Oliver would have wanted.

"Wait my what?" He asked realizing what Tommy had said.

"You came back from the dead, this calls for a party, you tell me where, and when, I'll take care of everything."

Oliver shook his head despite the fact that he was smiling, he wasn't going to having a party, he had a kid who was currently asleep in the back who had no business being in clubs, which meant neither did he.

"This city's gone to crap," Tommy commented as he took in the poverty of the area they had just turned into, "I mean your dad sold his factory just in time. Why'd you wanna drive to this neighborhood anyway?"

"No reason," He replied staring at the abandoned Queen Factory his plan for the building already being finalized in his head.

"So what did you miss the most?"

"Laurel."

"Everyone is happy you're alive, you want to see the one person who isn't?"

Oliver looked at Tommy and simply nodded.

"Okay," Tommy said as they walked away from CNRI after Oliver's failed attempt at talking to Laurel, "So we took care of that, good call. Now we can make up for lost time, if you aren't too tired of fish, I suggest we find some leggy models – beautiful daughter attracts beautiful women - and eat sushi-"

Oliver heard the cars just before they appeared, but it was enough time, the screeching, and the halting, he didn't know what was happening, but he knew it wasn't anything good.

"Lily," The little girl who was walking just a few steps ahead of them turned to look at her father, "Run."

The girl recognized the tone of his voice and recognized the severity of the order, she had heard it before.

Oliver watched as Lily's tiny body darted to the left just seconds before a dart hit Tommy knocking him out, and seconds later, hit him.


	2. Chapter 2

Felicity walked absentmindedly her hands trifling through her bag attempting to find some space to fit her wallet into it, there was so much stuff in there that she didn't need, and now the one thing she actually needed to put inside of it wouldn't fit.

It had been a long day and she had only just finished her lunch break and was on her way to Queen Consolidated where she worked as an IT girl. She loved her job, a lot of people didn't understand it, she worked 9 to 5, in a cubicle, but she loved every moment of it.

Felicity was just slipping her bag onto her shoulder and looking up when something, or rather someone, slammed into her.

"Ooph," She huffed as she rocked back in her heels only just managing to keep her balance, "Hey watch it-"

She only just managed to cut herself off for the what must have been the first time ever when she realized it wasn't just some douche who had knocked into her, it was a little girl, a completely gorgeous, insanely beautiful little girl, who couldn't have been more than five and was already prettier than her.

That's when you know your life is sad, when a child is prettier than you.

But Felicity was sure this girl was more beautiful than anyone she had ever seen, so she figured if the girl was prettier than pretty much the entire female gender, then she wasn't losing too badly.

And while Felicity had a tendency to ramble, and even occasionally exaggerate, she was doing neither of those things where the looks of this child was concerned.

She was small, Felicity had a feeling she was going to be fairly short. Her light colored skin, her long blonde hair that fell just a little higher than her waist, and big blue crystal clear eyes unlike anything Felicity had seen before.

They were innocent; yet they were wise.

"Hi sweetheart, are you lost?" Felicity asked bending down to her.

The girl shook her head slowly, and took a few steps backwards, and then she was running again, and Felicity wasn't sure why, but for some reason, she found herself chasing the little girl.

"Hey little girl!" Felicity called after her, damn it this kid was fast, it was like she knew what she was doing.

It was only through sheer determination that Felicity managed to keep her eyes on the little girl. She wove in and out of crowds of people, her bare feet pounding against the tarmac, she seemed to know exactly where she was going, and how she was going to get there.

It was like she knew what it was like to be chased. It was like she knew what it was like to be running.

"Gotcha," Felicity breathed deeply as they stopped just in front of what looked like the edge of a forest, or trees, damn since when had Starling City left space for nature, it was a wonder there weren't towers of buildings up there already.

"Why are you following me?"

The little girl's voice was every bit as beautiful as her. It was a sweet soprano, not too high, but most definitely not low, her voice was steady unlike a child's, but it held an air of innocence, and Felicity couldn't be sure but maybe even the slightest of lisps.

"Why are you running from me?" Felicity thought about that and rolled her eyes, "Right stranger danger and all that fun stuff, your parents probably told you never talk to strangers, which is really good advice, but also terrible advice, because if you never talked to a stranger then you would never meet anybody in your life, because when you think about everybody starts off as a stranger. The only way someone can stop being a stranger is when you start talking to them."

Felicity finished her rant and realized how that may not have been the best thing to say as the little girl looked at her with the most adorable expression on her face, her little nose, that for some odd reason Felicity wanted to kiss, all scrunched up.

Damn it, she was obsessed with a maybe five year old.

"My name's Felicity," She tried.

The little girl looked her over carefully before finally deciding she must have liked something she had seen because she replied, "My name is Lily."

"Well Lily-" Felicity didn't even get to finish her sentence before the little girl was gone disappearing into the forest easily getting lost into the woods.

"Hey!" She yelled running as far as she dared, "Lily! Lily!"

Felicity sighed, there was no way she was going to find her, she backed out of the trees, and pulled out her phone, and began dialing '911,' someone had to find that little girl, her parents must have been worried sick.

ARROW

Oliver ignored Tommy as he ran down the street his heart in his throat. He had to call the police as soon as Tommy had woken, he couldn't explain to him how he had taken those men down, but he had no intentions of listening to the police when they told him to stay put.

"Oliver, just wait a second," Tommy called after him, "Where are you going?"

He ignored him and darted towards the left recognizing the little black shoe resting on the side of a building in that direction, just barely noticeable. Years on the island had given Oliver enough to teach his daughter how to make sure he would always be able to find her.

She went towards the woods, Oliver knew that, that was the only place Lily would feel safe, in the woods with the trees like in Lian Yu, or with him. And since she wasn't with him, Lily had to be at the trees.

"Oliver," Tommy said breathless bending down as Oliver looked towards the woods his eyes searching for something, for anything, he would have the whole forest cut down if he had to, but he knew there was no need to, Lily was hiding for the sole purpose of being able to be found, "What is going on?"

"Gotcha," Oliver said catching side of a gold chain clasped lightly to a small branch, just slightly lower than Lily's tiny frame.

"Oliver, the police are looking for Lily, we should be waiting for her, not running through forests."

"Daddy," Lily cried running over just as Oliver sunk to his knees by the necklace.

"Lily," He breathed with relief as her tiny body crashed into his own, her little face claiming its spot in his neck, "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Let me look at you?"

Oliver gently pulled away so he could look her up and down, her feet were bare, though she probably preferred that, but her blue eyes were just as blue as ever, and it didn't seem like she had a hair out of place on her blonde head.

"I'm fine, Daddy," She offered him an almost smile before frowning, "Why were those men hurting you?"

"I don't know Princess, but I'm okay, I promise," Oliver sighed picking her up, "Come on, let's get you home."

He turned around then furrowed his eyebrows slightly at the look on Tommy's face, "What?"

"She can talk."

"She's four, Tommy," Oliver said giving him a weird look, "Of course she can talk."

"I just haven't heard her talk before, and she called you Daddy, and I just, it's weird how normal that sounds," He said slowly.

"Uncle Tommy," Lily said tentatively in a much quieter voice than with which she had regarded Oliver with.

If Oliver thought Tommy had a shocked look on his face before, then the look on his face was pure comedy, because the look was immediately replaced with the goofiest grin Oliver had ever seen on his best friend, Lily had the poor guy in the palm of her hand with two words.

"Yeah?"

"You're okay too, right?" Lily asked, "I don't want you to hurt either."

Oliver couldn't help but laugh, forget having Tommy in the palm of her hand, Lily had Tommy's heart in her hands, he was all but her prisoner at that point, he would always wonder how he had managed to make such a sweet creature.

"I'm okay." Tommy promised.

"Daddy?" Lily yawned, "I'm tired."

"Go to sleep sweetheart," Oliver said as they walked the short distance out of the woods, Tommy still staring at Lily like he was seeing the sun for the first time, "Everything will be better when you wake up."

"Daddy," Lily repeated as he placed her into the car seat of Tommy's car.

"Yes?" He turned in his seat slightly and raised his eyebrows.

She looked at him sheepishly and through her eyes, she thought she was going to be in trouble, but more often than not when Lily thought she was in trouble, she wasn't, she was harder on herself at four years old, then anyone else could ever be.

"Lily," He said firmly but not sternly.

"There was a lady," She said quietly, "She was chasing me, she told me her name was Felicity, and then I told her my name."

"It's okay," Oliver said simply, he wasn't sure how to tell her that soon enough everyone in the world would know her name, he was surprised that it hadn't gotten out already, so he simply let it be.

"Daddy?"

Oliver resisted the urge to groan, he loved his daughter, but she needed to decide if she wanted to be awake or not, obviously Tommy was thinking along the same lines because he was laughing quietly under his breath.

"Yes Lil?"

"The lady, Felicity? She reminded me of Mommy."

Tommy immediately stopped laughing as Oliver stilled, he wasn't sure how to reply to that, but it seemed like Lily didn't need an answer, she was simply telling him to tell him, she had always been like that, and there was nothing about his daughter that Oliver loved more than that.

Despite the fact that he had barely spent more than a day without her since the minute she was born, Lily always felt the need to tell Oliver exactly what happened during her day, from the funny shaped tree she had seen, or the scarce bird that was chirping above her, and so that's what they did every night since she was old enough to talk, he tucked her in, and she told him about her day.

It was his favorite part of his day, for four years it had been the only good part of his day.

ARROW

"You are different, not like you to read a book."

Oliver laughed as he quickly minimized all his research on Adam Hunt the second Raisa walked into his room a tray in her hands.

"I missed you Raisa," He smiled widely and sincerely as he leaned back in his chair.

"No kitchen on the island," She smiled back fondly.

"No, no friends either."

"But you had her," Raisa smiled as she looked over at the tiny body sleeping peacefully in the middle of his bed, her hands fisting the covers, her nose wrinkled as a stray piece brushed at her face.

"Yeah," He nodded, "I had her."

"Do I really seem different?" Oliver asked as he took the tray from Raisa, putting it down, and leaning over the side of the bed to tuck Lily's hair behind her ear, and watched with a small smile as her nose immediately unscrunched itself and her face relaxed.

"No, you're still a good boy."

"I think we both know I wasn't," He admitted, "But a good heart," Raisa countered placing a hand on his cheek.

"I hope so," He said seriously, "I want to be the person you always told me I could be."

"I think you're already there Mr. Oliver," Raisa smiled looking over at Lily again.

And for a moment Oliver let himself believe that Raisa was right, that he was a good man, and he was a good dad to Lily, but he couldn't help but wonder, he had plans, dangerous plans, and there was no way to tell what sort of repercussions that would have on Lily.

ARROW

"Are you sure you're okay?" Oliver repeated as he glanced around the hallway of the Merlyn mansion.

"Yes Daddy," Lily repeated.

"You better not be lying to me little girl."

"I'm not Daddy," She sighed, "I'm not scared."

"And if you're old man is?" Oliver raised his eyebrows.

Lily giggled and moved forward to kiss Oliver's lips in a brief peck, "Now you're just trying to trick me, silly, you aren't scared of anything, Daddy."

Oliver laughed under his breath before give her a small push forward, "Alright I'll see you soon little one."

"It must weird," Tommy said quietly watching Lily who was sitting in the middle of the Merlyn's shoe closet attempting to untie her shoes by herself with the utmost concentration on her face, "To have someone think you can do anything. It has to be intimidating."

"It is," Oliver nodded looking at her too, "But there's something really amazing about it, it's weird having a first priority other than yourself."

Tommy shook his head, "How does one tiny person manage to be so captivating?"

Lily cried in triumph as she threw her shoes across the room, then scrambled up with a horrified look on her face as she quickly began apologizing to the shoes, and the walls.

"I'm sorry Uncle Tommy," Lily cried running forward at Tommy who caught her with a completely surprised and taken-off-guard look on her face, "I didn't mean to hurt your shoes or your closet!"

"I bet I know how you could make it up to me."

"How?"

"Just never stop calling me Uncle Tommy, okay kiddo?" He smiled ruffling her hair as she scrunched her nose up.

"Why would I? That's your name, silly!"

Oliver laughed, "You are so screwed, Merlyn."

"I know," Tommy shook his head as he walked him to the front door never taking his eyes off of Lily who was sitting contentedly on his hip like it was the most natural thing in the world for her, like he had always been 'Uncle Tommy.'

"Bye Daddy," She waved her little hand at him.

"Bye Lils," He said walking down the steps of the Merlyn mansion and into the car.

"Are you alright sir?"

"Just fine, thanks Diggle," Oliver said nodding briefly at his security guard.

He wasn't though, in fact Oliver wasn't sure what he was, he had never spent a day without Lily, hell he had never let anyway besides her mother take care of Lily, but what he did know was that he was glad that the one person Lily had accepted into her new, confusing life was Tommy.

He knew, if his whole plan to save the city was going to work, then he would have to get comfortable with leaving his daughter with people other than Tommy – despite the fact that he was barely comfortable with that – there was no place for a four year old in his plans, she wouldn't be getting hurt, not now, not ever.


End file.
